Refrigerator shelf



May 18, 1943 w. H. NOBLES REFRIGERATOR SHELF Filed July 19, 1941 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

FIG.

1, yuc'llfx'VO WARREN H. NOBLES FIG. 4.

y 1943 w. H. NOBLES REFRIGERATOR SHELF Filed July 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WARREN H. NOBLES Patented May 18, 1943 UNITED STATE REFRIGERATOR SHELF Warren H. Nobles, St. Paul, Minn., a'ssignor to Seeger Refrigerator Company, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application July 19, 1941, Serial No. 403,169

Claims.

My invention relates to a shelf construction for refrigerators wherein it i desired to provide a folding shelf means to permit articles such as bottles or other taller articles, to fit into the refrigerator space adjacent the regular shelf.

My invention includes a rigid shelf portion made up of a frame to supportthe shelf in position within the refrigerator compartment and having sectional portions of the shelf so that they may be folded partially to increase the space adjacent the rigid shelf to a more or less degree.

It is-also a feature to provide a. folding sectional shelf for refrigerators and the like, wherein the shelf may be extended to provide a wide or complete shelf horizontally across the refrigerator, or where the shelf may be partially folded, or may be folded in a manner to provide a wire basket within the refrigerator, all of which is accomplished by means of my'sectional folding shelf construction.

,A further feature resides in providing a shelf having a unitary frame which extend about the edges of the shelf to contact with the wall but- I tons which support the shelf in the refrigerator compartment. a

A feature also resides in providingiikkpmeans for connectingthe sections of the s gether and catch means for holding the shelf folded. and to hold the same in basket-like position when the shelf is folded for that purpose.

These features, together with other details and objects will be more fully and clearly hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings forming a flcationz' Figure 1 is a front view of an open refrigerator, "showing my sectional foldable basket shelf in extended operating position therein.

Figure 2 is a plan view of my refrigerator shelf.

Figure 3 is a perspective of my refrigerator shelf. 1 Figure 4 is a section on the line l-lof Figure 3.

Figure 5 illustrates a perspective detailof 'my shelf used as a wire basket within the refrigerator compartment,

part of this speci- Figure 6 illustrates another position of my foldable sectional slielf.

Figure 7 illustrates a section through the shelf when it is folded to form a. basket.

Figure 8 illustrates a perspective detail, partly in section, of one of the connectors.

Figure 9 is a similar view to Figure 8, showing another of the connectors for the shelf sections.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of my shelf.

Figure 11 is a perspective detail showing a portion of my shelf when the sections are in folded position to form a wire basket.

My invention includes a shelf A made of wire or other suitable material, which is adapted to be supported within a refrigerator B so as to provide a shelf in the refrigerator compartment C which may be adjusted to different sizes.

The shelf A is composed of a main section In which is formed with a marginal wire reinforcing frame ll formed by a single piece of wire extending about the entire periphery of the shelf portion l0, and providing an L-shaped auxiliary wire frame portion l2 and I3, the portions l2 and is being more clearly illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.

The shelf A is made of the shelf sections Iii,

in Figure 9 and the arm portion, 18 of the loop I1 is welded to the frame of one of the shelf portions, whereas, the depending hook loop I9 engages the other frame of the adjacent shelf portion to slidably and pivotally connect the sections of the shelf together. The idea of this slidable hinged loop connection I! is illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7, which show the manner in which the sections l4 and I5 can be folded upon each other-so as to extend parallel and in perfect alignment when the shelf portions all and I! are folded up as illustrated in Figure 5 to form a shelf end to the main shelf portion In. When the portions and I 5 arefolded up in this manner, they provide a basket-like shelf out of the sections l0, l4 and ii, the portions I4 and I5 acting as the end of the basket-shelf to prevent asticles from rolling off the main shelf portion A primary feature of my sectional shelf A resides in providing a shelf within a refrigerator compartment which maybe folded up to provide more room adjacent the end of the fixed or main shelf portion Hi. It is often found desirable in a refrigerator compartment to provide a'space for taller articles, such as bottles or possibly for large roasts. With my sectional shelf A it is apparent that one or more sections, such as l5, or the adjacent shelf portion. l4 may be folded either up or down to provide additional space at the end of the main shelf portion I 0.

When the shelf section I5 is intended as illustra ed n ure 6, a wire basket-like shelf is rovided under the main shelf portion In and the section l4.

When the shelf sections l4 and I5 are folded together and turned in upward position, as illustrated in Figure 5, short arms 20 rest upon the frame portion I2 to hold the folded shelf portions in upright position as illustrated in the detail in Figure 11.

Each of the sections l4 and ii are provided with short bracket arms 22 illustrated in the enlarged detail in Figure 8 and also illustrated in the other figures, which are welded to the frame portion l5 and have the free end portion 23 which hooks over and rests on the portion l2 of l the L-shaped frame at the back of the refrigerator compartment.

The L-shaped frame portion l3 has an arm 23 near the front end of the same which is adapted to engage the front free edge of the shelf portion l5 and upon which the shelf portion l5 rests. The 'L-shaped frame portion I3 is also provided with a hook 24 which hooks onto a wall button projecting from the wall of the refrigerator compartment C. The main portion 10 of the shelf is also provided with a similar hook 25 which hooks over one of the wall buttons on the opposite wall of the refrigerator compartment C. Thus the frame II and the L-shaped frame portions 12 and I3 are held rigidly to the wall of the refrigerator compartment 0. This permits the sectional shelf portions l4 and I5 to be easily adjusted into desired position without moving the main shelf portion Ill.

The shelf sections l4 and I5 are slidably connected by the hinge loops I! so that as the arms 22 are lifted off the frame portion l2, the respective shelf portions I4 or I 5 may be slid longitudinally of each other and turned up or down as the case may be, and then they can be slid back so that the arms 20 will rest upon the frame portion l2 to hold the shelves l4 and I5 folded in the position illustrated in Figure 5, if desired.

Figures 2 and 3, with Figure 1, illustrate the extended position of my sectional shelf A, and Figure 4 illustrates a section taken in the direction of the arrows on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, to show the respective positions of the shelf sections, together with the hinge loops l1 and the arms 23' on which the section l5 rests.

The hinge loops H which connect the section III with the section l4, are welded to the frame portion of the section ID at 28, while the loop portion 29 extends around the frame of the portion l4 to hingedly connect the frame portion l4 to the frame portion Ill. The loops l'l' space the sections apart, as illustrated in Figure 4.

When the sections Ill, l4 and I5 are extended in a single plane as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the shelf wires which extend parallelly across the frame portions of the respective shelf sections, are in a single plane so as to make a smooth, even top surface to the sectional shelf A. Thus I provide a shelf A made in sections which can be extended and used as an ordinary shelf, extending horizontally across the compartment C. However, when it is desired to provide a shelfless space adjacent the shelf A, it is only necessary to fold either one of the sections [4 or [5, up or down, as set forth heretofore, thereby providing a shelfless compartment adjacent the shelf A.

The simplicity and practical nature of my sectional shelf A is very desirable in a refrigerator.

I claim:

1. A sectional shelf for refrigerators, including a main shelf portion supported on the walls of the refrigerator and having a depending foot at the outer front free corner, an auxiliary shelf portion hingedly. and longitudinally shiftably connected to said main shelf portion, a second auxiliary shelf portion hingedly and longitudinally shiftably connected to said first auxiliary shelf portion, means for supporting said auxiliary shelf portions extending in the same plane as said main shelf portion to provide a single shelflike portion extending across the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator, and means for supporting said auxiliary shelf portions when folded to provide a shelfless portion in the plane of said main shelf, said auxiliary shelf portions forming a shelf basketlike end for the main shelf when said auxiliary shelf portions are folded upward.

2. A sectional shelf for refrigerators including a main wire shelf portion, a single wire frame extending about the periphery of said main portion of said shelf, said frame having an auxiliary extending frame portion projecting beyond said main shelf portion and adapted to provide a supporting frame for auxiliary sectional shelf portions, auxiliary sectional shelf portions hingedly and transversely shiftably connected together and hingedly and transversely shiftably connected to said main shelf portion, lugs secured to said auxiliary shelf portions adapted to engage said auxiliary frame portion, said lugs being rigidly secured to said auxiliary shelf portions and adapted to rest freely on said auxiliary frame portion when said auxiliary shelf portions are extended in a, single plane with said main shelf portion, said auxiliary shelf portions being foldable upon each other and adapted to be positioned in an upright manner to provide an upwardly extending shelf end portion at the position where said auxiliary shelf portions are hingedly connected to said main shelf portion.

3. A sectional wire shelf for refrigerators including a series of shelf portions hingedly and slidably connected together, lugs secured rigidly to said shelf portions, a frame for supporting said shelf portions in a refrigerator compartment, said lugs adapted to engage said frame to support said shelf portions in a horizontal single plane, means for connecting said frame to shelf supporting buttons on the walls of the refrigerator compartment to rigidly support said frame therein, said lugs providing a means whereby said sectional shelf portions may be folded either up or down to provide a shelfless portion in the refrigerator adjacent the remaining shelf portion, the portions of said shelf which are folded out of the normal plane of said shelf acting as an end guard either under the remainin shelf portion or projecting up from the same, to provide a wire shelf basket compartment.

4. A sectional shelf for refrigerators including a main shelf portion and two auxiliary shelf sections, means for normally fixing said mai-n shelf portion in a horizontal plane in a refrigerator, a foot portion extending from the front free corner of said main shelf portion, the auxiliary sections of said shelf portion being longitudinally shiftable and hingedly connected together and hingedly and longitudinally shiftably connected to said main shelf portion, lugs secured to said auxiliary sections, said hinges providing a means whereby both of said other shelf sections together may be raised and supported in an upright position by said lugs or may be lowered out of the plane of said fixed shelf portion to provide a'space in the refrigerator for articles larger than could ordinarily be stored under said shelf when the same is extended completely across the refrigerator compartment.

5. A sectional wire shelf for refrigerators comprising a normally fixed shelf portion having a depending foot for supporting the outer front free comer of the same, auxiliary wire shelf portions adapted to normally extend in the same plane as said main shelf portion, slidable hinged connecting means permitting longitudinal sliding between said main shelf and said auxiliary l0 plane, said lug means adapted to support one of said auxiliary shelves in a horizontal plane while the other auxiliary shelf portion may be folded downwardly and said lug means holding said auxiliary sections in an upright vertical position after the auxiliary sections have been folded together to provide a shelfless portion in the refrigerator compartment adjacent said main shelf portion.

WARREN H. NOBLES. 

